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Out of Shenzhen: Catalog #1 of the Los Angeles Biennale of Architecture/Urbanism

Possible for a group of architects, artists, educators, writers, publishers to fly to Shenzhen and start a dialog and call it a Los Angeles Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, a.k.a. LAB A/U? (Yes)

A first for architecture and urbanism for Los Angeles? (Yes)

Possible to bee line the assumptions, suspicions, silent treatments and doubts? (Yes)

Real? (Yes)

Possible to talk about the aura of a city via on the road biennale? (Yes)

And...

Could the nomads' opinion be harnessed? (No)

LAB A/U did not happened in a vacuum even though it seemed that way. The participants, hosts and audience have thought so.

Is this a one time deal? (No)

Can I join when it convenes again? (No , you need to be curated)

Does it cost to participate? (No)

Will LAB A/U continue indefinitely (Yes, there are no plans to shut it down at the moment)

Will it be always nomadic? (Yes, even when it is in LA)

Is its nomadism in spirit or action? (Both)

Will it be critical and threatening? (Yes, but it will be promoting as well)

Will it produce more ideas and catalogs after each parasitic appearance? (Yes)

Is this why this inaugural catalog is numbered 1? (Yes)

Is Los Angeles Biennale touristic? Will it take more snapshots and flee? (Yes it is 10% touristic)

Could this catalog be called literary? (Yes)

Could this be called art? (Yes)

Why in Shenzhen, China?

There was a very creative biennale going in Shenzhen, the idea of launching the inaugural LA version under the umbrella of another international biennale was formed and it happened fairly quickly. We are now a known entity.

Why a catalog?

The idea of a publication, “book,” was always there. It was to record what we were doing in the cafeteria of Value Factory. We produced “value” as well.

What do you think you have achieved?

Our idea of talking about LA in a different way in this diasporatic biennale was realized and achieved.

LAB A/U is always fast developing action and the people who participate in it are prepared to deal with that.